Cable-tramway.



S. P. WATT.

CABLE TRAMWAY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1911.

1,01 '7,831 Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANoGRAPn co.,wASH1NG-roN. l.:4 c.

S. P. WATT.

CABLE TRAMWAY. A APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1911.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wl TN E 88E 8:

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COI. WASHINGTON. u. c,

UNITED STATIISATENT OFFICE.

SEEN P. WATT, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO WASHINGTON IRON WORKS GO., OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON.

CABLE-TRAMWAY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SERN l?. WATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable-Tramways, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to aerial tramways and specifically to improvements in devices of this character shown and described in United States Patent No. 993,423, issued May 30, 1911; and the object of the present invention is to simplify and perfect the construction of such devices in various particulars and render them more efficient and convenient to operate.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of apparatus embodying my improved devices. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the load-carriage and the trailer. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially through 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view of the trailer in the direction indicated by arrow X in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of the trailer at the opposite end from which it is seen in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the retractor for the hoisting-rope grip jaws employed in the trailer.

The illustrated embodiment of the present invention, like that shown and described in the above mentioned patent, comprises a load carriage A which is provided with a frame having two spaced side plates 10, and a second carriage or trailer B, provided with a frame having two spaced side plates 11. Said carriage and the trailer are respectively provided with grooved traction wheels 12 and 13 which travel on a cable trackway 14 secured to and extending between posts 15 and 15. Adjacent to the post 15 is a hoisting engine provided with three rope winding drums 16, 17 and 18.

The line 19, hereinafter designated as the hauling rope, from the drum 16 passes through a guide pulley 20 attached to the post 15 and has its other end secured to the carriage A. The line 21, or the outhaul rope, as it will be called, extends from the drum 17, through a guide pulley 22 attached to the post 15 and thence passes over fair leader pulleys 23 and 24, supported by the Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 19, 1911.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912. Serial No. 639,341.

carriage and the trailer, to a guide pulley 25 attached to the post 15 4and returning has its end secured to the trailer, as by a linlr 21. The line, or hoisting rope, 26 eX- tends from its drum 18 through a guide pulley 27 attached to post 15, then through the carriage to and about a sheave 28 in the trailer and returning to the carriage has its free end pass over a sheave 29 provided in the latter.

30 represents a sheave provided in the carriage for supporting the leading part of the hoisting rope 26 a distance above the sheave 29. At the front end of the trailer is a pair of toggle elements 31 and 31 pivotally connected to pins 32 and 32 disposed respectively near the top and bottom of the trailer frame and having their ends socketed in holes provided in the side plates 11 thereof and also in apertures provided in a reinforcing member 34 (Fig. 4) which is rigidly secured to the inner face of one of the plates 11. The lower end of the element 31 is formed with a j aw 33 while the element- 31 carries a grooved wheel 35 which serves as a jaw complementary to the jaw 33 for gripping the hoisting rope 26 when the toggle elements are swung forwardly by this rope through the agency of a button 26 which is lixedly secured to the same.

A retractor, best shown in Fig. 6, is provided for coupling the aforesaid toggle elements and whereby they are actuated independently of or in opposition to the power of the hoisting rope as exercised through the button 26. This retractor comprises a plate 36 extending lengthwise of the trailer, through guideways 34 and 38 provided respectively in the reinforcing member 34, at the front end of the trailer, and in an attachment 38, at the rear end thereof. At the extreme forward end of the plate 36 is an enlarged head 36 which is normaliy protruded for a distance in front of the trailer and serves as a bumper when juxtaposed against the frame of the `carriage as well as acting as an agent to positively disengage the toggle grip on the hoisting-rope, as will be presently explained. lItigidly secured to the rear end of the plate 36 is a second plate 39 having bends at 40 and 41 to afford a part 39 at right angles to the plate 36 and another part 39 which is parallel to the plate 36 and offset therefrom to accommodate the sheave 28. 'Ihe plate part 39 is bifurcated to provide branches 42 which carry near their forward ends pins 43 with which said toggle elements are pivotally connected. Extending longitudinally of the retractor through a hole provided in the part 39 and through an apertured lug 3S of the attachment 38 is a bolt 44 about which, and confined between the lug and the retractor part 39', is a spiral spring 45 whose oflice is to push 4the retractor forward and cause the toggle elements to yieldingly grip the hoisting-rope. A shield 16, which is omitted in Fig. 1, is employed at the rear of the sheave 2S to guide the hoisting-rope when it becomes unduly slack in the operation. In Fig. 1, I illustrate a hook 47 at the free end of the hoisting line 26 for connecting the same with a load, but other suitable fastening devices may be substituted therefor'.

The operation of the invention may be eX- plained as follows: The carriage A is conveyed away from the engine to receive a load by letting out the hauling rope 19 from the drum 16 and winding the outhaul rope 21 on its drum 17. The trailer B is thus caused to travel toward the post 15 and draws therewith the free end of the hoisting rope 26 until the hook L,t7 on the latter encounters the frame of carriage A to draw the carriage with the trailer, whereupon the operator slacks off the rope 2G from the drum 18 to allow for the distance traveled by the carriage. When the carriage has reached its loading position it is stopped by interrupting the paying out of the rope 19, while the travel of the trailer B is, if required., continued to draw it away from the carriage. rPhe outhaul line 21 is then allowed to run free while the trailer is drawn toward the carriage by the hoisting rope 26 whose button 26 actuates the toggle links to embrace the hoisting rope. As the trailer is drawn toward the carriage the free end of the hoisting rope pays out from the carriage over the sheave 29 thereof to enable a tender to attach the load to the rope. Vhen the trailer' is brought close to the carriage, the head 36 of the retractor bar impinges against the carriage and is thereby shifted rearwardly in the trailer to release the hoisting rope from the toggle elements. The trailer being thus freed is drawn by the outhaul rope 21 while the hauling and the hoisting ropes 19 and 26 are held by their drums resulting in the raising of the load by reason of the bight of the hoisting rope about the sheave 23 being carried away from the carriage. The load being thus sus- V pended the hauling and hoisting ropes are wound upon the drums 16 and 18 to efl'ect the conveyance of the load on the carriage A accompanied by the trailer B. In such transportation, the outhaul rope 21 is paid off from the drum 17 yto allow of the travel of the carriage and trailer, but under suiiicient restraint to provide tension to the outhaul rope sufficient to maintain the trailer in a position relative to the carriage such that the load will be held at a proper elevation from the ground. To lower the load, the outhaul rope is further slacked so that the weight of the load will be enabled to draw the trailer toward the carriage.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the hauling and outhaul ropes are utilized not only to pull the carriage and trailer to and from the place of unloading but also operate to regulate the action of the hoisting rope in the raising of a load, and effecting the gripping of the toggle devices of the trailer to the hoisting rope so that in their progress the trailer is pulled by this rope and the carriage is pulled by the hauling line.

Vhat I claim, is-

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a trackway, a load carriage and a trailer thereon, a hoisting line making a running engagement with the load car rage and the trailer, a hauling rope secured to the load carriage, an outhaul rope secured to the trailer, and means operated by the outhaul rope and the hoisting line whereby the hoisting line is paid out to afford slack.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a trackway, two carriages thereon, a hoisting line extending through both of tliq carriages, a hauling rope secured to one of said carriages, an outhaul rope secured to the other carriage, devices controlled by the line and said ropes wherebyl the ropes may be employed to cause the carriages to travel togetheror independently in either direction upon the trackway. l

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a tracliway, a load carriage and a trailer mounted for travel on the trackway, rope sheaves provided in the load carriage and the trailer, a hauling rope secured to the load carriage, an outhaul rope secured to said trailer, a hoisting line passing about said rope sheaves, mechanism provided in the trailer and adapted for engagement with said hoisting line, and means'provided on said hoisting line whereby said mechanism is caused to be positively actuated.

t. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a traclrway, a load carriage and a trailer mounted for travel on the trackway, rope sheaves provided in the load carriage and the trailer, a hauling rope secured to the load carriage, an outhaul rope secured to said trailer, a hoisting line passing about said rope sheaves, mechanism provided in the trailer and adapted for engagement with said hoisting line, means provided on said hoisting line whereby said mechanism is caused to be positively actuated, and

a retractor associated with said mechanism for disengaging the latter When said controller is brought against the load carriage.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a trackway, a load carriage and a trailer mounted for travel on the trackway, rope sheaves provided in the load carriage and t-he trailer, a hauling rope secured to the load carriage, an outhaul rope secured to said trailer,a hoisting line passing about said rope sheaves, mechanism provided in the trailer and adapted for engagement with said hoisting line, means provided on said hoisting line whereby said mechanism is caused'to be positively actuated, and a spring pressed retractor associated with said mechanism for disengaging the latter when said controller is brought against the load carriage.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a trackway, a load carriage and a trailer on said trackWay, a hauling rope secured to said carriage, an outhaul rope secured to the trailer, a line making a running engagement with both the carriage and the trailer, toggle devices provided in the trailer, means provided on the line for effecting the gripping of the line by said devices, and means connected to said devices and coacting with said carriage for disengaging said devices from the line when the trailer is drawn by said line into close proximity to the carriage.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination oltI a trackway, tivo carriages thereon, a line making a running engagement with both of the carriages, a hauling rope secured to one of the carriages, an outhaul rope secured to the other of the carriages, and means made operable through the instrumentality of the outhaul rope and said line whereby a load may be carried upon the line through the agency of said hauling rope.

v SERN P. WATT. Vitnesses:

H. BARNES, E. PETERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

